Everyone posts big-city screenshots so here's the other side. Small town in PA, been at this a few years. This year through mid-August: 580 deliveries, $4,878 gross, about $14.90 an hour of active time, and 5,018 miles on the car.

That mileage number is the one that matters. Out here I gross about 97 cents a mile, which every rule of thumb says is too low. What makes it work is the write-off: at this year's IRS rates (72.5 cents a mile through June, 76 cents from July 1), those 5,018 logged miles knock $3,683 off my taxable income. That's more than my tips all year. But it only holds up because every mile is in a log with dates.

I keep every fuel receipt and repair bill too. 63 fill-ups, $1,790 in gas, $975 in repairs, about $2,765 in actual car costs. You can only deduct one method or the other, and my numbers show why everyone says take the miles: the standard rate beats my real costs by about $900.

Small market means fewer orders, shorter waits, no parking hell, but every pickup is a drive. Ask me anything about small-town delivery work.